They say it takes a village to raise a child, and Gigi Marvin couldn’t agree more. Having been born and raised in a hockey town and a hockey family, it’s no surprise that she has been skating since she could walk. What might surprise you, though, is that she sincerely, absolutely, without a doubt, loves the game. “My parents always brought me to the rink and family gatherings were at the rink. I loved it. It always put a smile on my face.”
On this particular day in July, she’s just come into town to relax at her cousins’ business, Bec’s
Drive-In, after a day of working at her dad’s buffalo ranch. She looks like any other twenty-something, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. “I’m just a 218’er like everybody else,” she said and laughed. It becomes clear within minutes just how humble this young woman is and credits her family and community for getting her to where she is today.
A key ingredient to her humility is a commitment to keep learning. Even though she graduated from
Warroad High School in 2005, she recalls with fondness the positive impact her Warroad teachers had on her. “Mrs. Comstock in AP English – every single assignment she was fired up. We were like, Mrs. C. you’ve read this like 500 times and she said, ‘It never gets old. There’s always more I can learn.’”
This summer she ran into her former AP Government teacher, Mr. Fermoyle, sitting in the weight room with a Nook in one hand and a paperback in the other. “I asked him, ‘What’re you doin’?’ He said, ‘It’s History Day, I gotta learn about history. Gotta keep my mind fresh.’ He refuses to sit back and presses on and wants more knowledge.”
One of her coaches said, ‘There’s greatness in all of us, it’s just a matter of drawing it out.’ Gigi takes this to heart, bringing her passion for learning back to her hometown through the RinkRat 19 Hockey Schools which she runs with her aunt, Robin Marvin.
Robin played basketball in the ‘80s and because there wasn’t girls’ hockey when she was growing up, didn’t start playing until she was an adult. “Robin is an amazing hockey player and has won 9 Senior Women National Titles.” (It also may be no surprise that Robin is a teacher!) Today, Robin, and another aunt, Janet, are mainstays on the Blue Jays, a senior women’s team in the Twin Cities. “We love the game, love working with kids,” said Gigi. “What better than to bring it all back to Warroad?”
The camp usually runs in Warroad the week after the 4th of July and consists of a combination of dry land drills and ice time with a top-notch staff. This year there were 87 campers, aged 3 – 16 years old. “I tell the kids all the time that they’re doing the same drills that I’m doing at the national level, just at a different skill level.” And she learns from the kids, too – getting ideas for teaching and tweaking the camp to make it better. “You never stop learning. That’s what everyone says, whether you’re a teacher in your fortieth year or you’re in your first year, you can always improve.”
“We always say on the national team, ‘If you’re green, you’re growing.’ If you think you know it all, and you’re good, and you’ve been there, done that – you’re like an old, withered tree and you’re not
producing anymore. We remind each other to keep your mind open and pay attention.”
When she’s not working the RinkRat 19 Hockey Schools, Gigi coaches varsity softball and hockey in Boston, does speaking engagements, and offers private lessons. And of course she plays. Today, it’s a happy coincidence that she still wears the black and gold, but now, instead of for the Warriors, she plays for the Boston Blades. Since fall 2011, she has worn #19, made the switch from forward to defense and helped the Boston Blades bring home their very first Clarkson Cup in 2013.
When asked if she ever worries about peaking she quoted one of her favorite Bible verses, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Her faith is another important component to her already humble nature, helping her to keep it real. “There’s always something to work on and there’s no
benefit by worrying. Just let it go and focus on the task at hand because nothing is too big for you – you can handle it. Not only that but you’ve got great people to encourage and support you along the way.” For now, she is loving life in Boston, working hard, learning as much as she can, and soaking it all in. “I’m more of a live one day at a time kind of girl.”
And let’s not forget the elephant in the room. In June 2013, Gigi was named to the U.S. Women’s
Hockey Team. Yes, that’s the team headed for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Of course Gigi is going, right? Not so fast, as she explains. “The final roster is made at the end of December and four
people will get cut.” There is always a chance she could be one of the four to stay stateside, so she is taking nothing for granted.
No matter where she plays in the world, this little village in northern Minnesota on Lake of the Woods will be cheering for their hometown girl no matter what. Good luck, Gigi!
